Alumni and Friends of VMI:
Deaths in the VMI Family:
I noticed the following were posted in the Electronic Turnouts.
Our thoughts and prayers are with their families. Special thanks
to Kathryn Wise for sharing this information.
Wed Sep 8 09:29:02 1999
Gentlemen: It may be of interest to some of you to know that Dr.
Chet Burgess, who taught English at VMI for 26 years prior to his
1988 retirement, died on August 28. He's to be buried on Friday
at Rose Hill Cemetery in Rifle, Colorado. --- Kathryn Wise,
editor, VMI Alumni Review
Larry Allen Stone '92, a Navy SEAL, died in a training accident
on September 3. He was captain of the basketball team at VMI. --
Kathryn Wise
Col. James B. Newman '39, professor of physics from 1941 - 1982,
died on September 9. Memorials may be made in the name of James
B. Newman, VMI Foundation, PO Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450 or to
the Kerrs Creek Fire Department, the Lexington Presbyterian
Church or the American Parkinson Disease Association, 60 Bay
Street, Staten Island, NY 10301. Funeral services will be held at
11:00 AM on Monday, September 13, 1999, at the graveside in
Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington. -- Kathryn Wise
VMI Football: The Keydets evened their record at
1 - 1 yesterday with a 15 -14 win over division II Concord. Next
up is East Tennessee State. Kickoff is 1:00 PM Saturday in
Lexington.
Alumni Association Meeting: I attended
yesterday's meeting of the VMI Alumni Association. I'll include a
recap of some of the information shared during the meeting in
next week's update. I just need some time to review my notes.
The Spending Issue: A number of folks have asked
me what was the mood of the alumni concerning the recent
investigation into Gen Bunting's spending. I spoke with a number
of alumni over the weekend and from what I can tell their is
little consensus on this issue. There are those who solidly
support the Superintendent and there are those who feel poor
judgment was displayed by the Superindendent, relative to some
expenditures, and the BOV, relative to its oversight. A report at
the Alumni Association meeting from the Finance Committee did
indicate that controls and procedures have been tightened. As in
the past, I will continue to share any related news articles if
space permits. A lengthy article was recently reprinted in the
Electronic Turnouts on September 4 that provides a great deal of
detail relative to individual expenditures, but it was simply too
long to include in this update. You can access the Turnouts at http://www.rtp.opensystems.com/vmi/postedturnouts.html.
Sexual Harassment Training at VMI:
By KIA SHANT'E BREAUX
Associated Press Writer
LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) -- Robert Mason stood nervously in front of
about 75 of his fellow cadets at Virginia Military Institute,
trying to get them to understand the importance of reporting
sexual harassment.
He asked the cadets to close their eyes and imagine someone they
cared about being sexual harassed or assaulted as a third person
watched and did nothing.
"If you see this happen to someone you know, like a family
member, you would say or do something to get them to stop. The
same thing applies here at VMI,'' the 21-year-old senior from
Dallas told the group Tuesday. "It is your duty to tell
someone about it.''
Mason is one of 17 peer trainers participating in VMI's new
approach to curbing sexual harassment at the formerly all-male
school. Instead of bringing in outside authorities as in the
past, school officials are using VMI cadets to instruct their
peers on what sexual harassment is and how to deal properly with
cadets of the opposite sex.
The training is conducted by members of the all-male senior
class, but VMI officials hope to include female trainers next
year when the first coed class becomes seniors. The training
classes are broken into 10 groups of about 75 cadets each,
according to military companies. The trainers are paid $100 for
leading the classes.
VMI has held sexual harassment training for cadets since women
were admitted to the school in 1997. But the latest program comes
after VMI's highest ranking cadet, Jerry B. Webb II of Casper,
Wyo., was expelled in May for allegedly demanding sex from three
women cadets.
The program was designed by a local agency, Project Horizon, a
non-profit group that seeks to reduce sexual harassment and
violence.
Peer trainers agree that allowing cadets to run the program has
been more affective.
"We're all friends and know each other on a personal
level,'' said a peer trainer, Jason Clough, 21, of Melbourne,
Fla. "I'm sure most of the cadets feel more comfortable
talking to us about certain things than the administration or
some outsider.''
Cadets participating in the sessions asked a variety of questions
including whether or not looking at pornography on the Internet
in the barracks constituted sexual harassment if a female cadet
was present.
"Yes, it could be classified as creating a hostile
environment,'' Clough said. "The best thing to do is to not
look at the stuff, don't take any chances.''
A number of male cadets said that they, too, can be victims of
sexual harassment.
Fraternization between the sexes has become a major issue at VMI
since the U.S. Supreme Court in 1996 found the males-only
admission policy unconstitutional. The high court's decision came
after a six-year legal battle between VMI and the Justice
Department. VMI has about 1,300 students, including 68 women.
A male student was expelled in May 1998 after he and a female
exchange student were found having consensual sex in the
barracks. The female was sent back to her school.
VMI officials realize sexual behavior is going to become more of
a challenge as more women are admitted to the school.
"Assimilation is not going to happen in one year,'' said
Valerie Jackson, VMI's acting Title IV officer, who makes sure
the school follows federal gender equality laws. "We need to
have ongoing training and education.''
But some cadets think VMI is taking the training too far.
"It's been a bit repetitive. We've had this sexual
harassment stuff ingrained in our heads,'' said senior Ethan
Graham of Harrisonburg.
VMI spokesman Mike Strickler acknowledged that no amount of
training is going to rid the institute of sexual harassment.
"You're not going to cut it out totally at VMI, you're not
going to cut it out totally anywhere,'' he said. "The key is
to keep the issue at the forefront of the cadets' minds.''
Hey that's it for this week.
Yours in the Spirit,
RB Lane '75
Last Updated: October 11, 2009
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